Republicans press Obama on Medicare insurance cuts

House Republicans are blaming President Barack Obama for upcoming cuts to a popular Medicare insurance plan in an effort to open a new front in their battle against Obamacare.

Top Republicans wrote to Obama on Thursday “to express deep concern about the impact of the cuts imposed by your health care law on the Medicare Advantage (MA) program and the recent action by CMS to fundamentally dismantle the Medicare prescription drug program.”

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“These cuts, in addition to proposed rules issued by CMS, will force millions of American seniors to face higher health care costs or lose access to their doctor, health plan, lifesaving drugs, and the benefits they’ve come to rely on,” the letter reads.

The letter is signed by Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio), Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.), Majority Whip Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.), House Republican Conference Chairman Cathy McMorris Rodgers and the two chairmen with jurisdiction over the health care law — Ways and Means Chairman Dave Camp and Energy and Commerce Chairman Fred Upton.

New Medicare Advantage rates - which are set by the government - are slated to be released Feb. 21. The industry is expecting a significant cut, which could anger seniors on the plan.

Obamacare called for cuts to the Medicare Advantage program because of concerns that the government was overpaying insurance companies. Republicans say that the Obama administration has been trying to hide those cuts since they came into law to ensure they don’t have a backlash from seniors over the popular program.

This letter is a sign Republicans will seize on the cuts and blame the administration, believing the issue will help the party ahead of the midterm elections.

In the letter, the Republicans say that if Obama won’t sign a repeal into law - which, of course, he won’t - “we urge you to instruct Secretary Sebelius to develop a plan to address the devastating impact of these cuts, ensuring – at a minimum – that seniors will not experience further disruptions in 2015.”